अथोवाच पुनर्वाक्यं विराधः पूरयन् वनम्। पृच्छतो मम हि ब्रूतं कौ युवां क्व गमिष्यथः॥
Then Virādha again spoke filling the forest, Do you tell me who ask you, who are you and whither are you going? The North-West Provinces text has additional Sloka : Having said this, the graceful Lakşmaņa spoke to Virādha as if jestingly, Who are you that coming to the forest, are ranging it pleasantly?-
तमुवाच ततो रामो राक्षसं ज्वलिताननम्। पृच्छन्तं सुमहातेजा इक्ष्वाकुकुलमात्मनः॥ क्षत्रियौ वृत्तसम्पन्नौ विद्धि नौ वनगोचरौ। त्वां तु वेदितुमिच्छावः कस्त्वं चरसि दण्डकान्॥
Thereupon, the highly energetic Rāma answered the Rākşasa with a flaming face, when he had thus asked (Rāma) that he belonged to the Iksvaku race. Know us that are in the forest, for Kșatriyas of respectable character. I also am anxious of knowing who you are, wandering in the Dandakas.
तमुवाच विराधस्तु रामं सत्यपराक्रमम्। हन्त वक्ष्यामि ते राजन् निबोध मम राघव॥
Virădha answered Råma having truth for his prowess, Ah! I will tell you, O king. Do you,O Răghava understand!
पुत्रः किल जवस्याहं माता मम शतहदा। विराध इति मामाहुः पृथिव्यां सर्वराक्षसाः॥
I am son of Java, and my mother is Satahradā. All the Rāksasas of the earth have called me Virādha.
तपसा चाभिसंप्राप्ता ब्रह्मणो हि प्रसादजा। शस्त्रेणावध्यता लोकेऽच्छेद्याभेद्यत्वमेव च ॥
Having gratified Brahmă by my asceticism, IⓇreceived (this boon) that none in the world would be able to slay me by mangling my body with weapons.
उत्सृज्य प्रमदामेनामनपेक्षौ यथागतम्। त्वरमाणौ पलायेथां न वां जीवितमाददे॥ तं रामः प्रत्युवाचेदं कोपसंरक्तलोचनः। राक्षसं विकृताकारं विराधं पापचेतसम्
Forsaking this fair one, do you, renouncing all hope (of either recovering her or vanquishing me), speedily flee away to that place whence you had come; else I shall deprive you of your lives. Thereat, Rāma with his eyes reddened through wrath replied to that Rākşasa of a deformed shape, the wicked Viradha.
क्षुद्र धिक् त्वां तु हीनार्थं मृत्युमन्वेषसे ध्रुवम्। रणे प्राप्स्यसि संतिष्ठ न मे जीवन् विमोक्ष्यसे॥
Little! shame on you of base purposes! You surely seek your own death; and (death) you shall get in battle. Stay! You escapist me not with life.
ततः सज्यं धनुः कृत्वा रामः सुनिशिताशरान्। सुशीघ्रमभिसंधाय राक्षसं निजघान ह॥ धनुषा ज्यागुणवता सप्त बाणान् मुमोच ह। रुक्मपुङ्खान् महावेगान् सुपर्णानिलतुल्यगान्॥
Then stringing his bow, Rāma, speedily aiming at the Rākşasa, pierced him with sharpened shafts; and (then) from his bow-string let go seven shafts, having their feathered parts plaited with good, furnished with great velocity, and coursing like Suparna or the wind.
ते शरीरं विराधस्य भित्त्वा बर्हिणवाससः। निपेतुः शोणितादिग्धा धरण्यां पावकोपमाः॥
Thereat, resembling flames, those arrows furnished with peacocks, feathers, pierced. Viradha's body, and fell to the earth, covered with blood.
स विद्धो न्यस्य वैदेहीं शूलमुद्यम्य राक्षसः। अभ्यद्रवत् सुसंक्रुद्धस्तदा रामं सलक्ष्मणम्॥
On being thus pierced, the Rākṣasa set Vaidehi down, and, upraising a dart, rushed in wrath towards Rāma and Lakşmaņa.
स विनद्य महानादं शूलं शक्रध्वजोपमम्। प्रगृह्याशोभत तदा व्यात्तानन इवान्तकः॥
And sending forth a mighty roar, he took up a dart resembling the banner of Sakra and he then appeared like the Destroyer* with opening mouth.
अथ तौ भ्रातरौ दीप्तं शरवर्षं ववर्षतुः। विराधे राक्षसे तस्मिन् कालान्तकयमोपमे॥
Then the brothers showered a blazing volley of shafts on that Rākşasa, resembling the Destroyer himself. The text has Kalāntakayamopame-abl..~~ resembling Kala, Antaka, or Yama. The commentator cites a sloka, which assigns three several functions to the three, Kāla execute his office on the occasion of the separation of life from the body; Antaka compasses the end; and Yama finally sits in judgement upon the departed soul. But this strikes me as misplaced erudition. I, however, give the commonsense rendering,
स प्रहस्य महारौद्रः स्थित्वाजृम्भत राक्षसः। जृम्भमाणस्य ते वाणाः कायान्निष्पेतुराशुगाः॥
Stationing himself at a spot, the Rākşasa, laughing terribly, yawned, and as he yawned the flest-coursing shafts fell off from his person, a
स्पर्शात्तु वरदानेन प्राणान् संरोध्य राक्षसः। विराधः शूलमुद्यम्य राघवावभ्यधावत॥
And by virtue of the bestowal of the boon (by Brahmā), the Rākşasa Virādha drew up his vital energies, and, lifting up a pike, darted at the descendants of Raghu.
तच्छूलं वज्रसंकाशं गगने ज्वलनोपमम्। द्वाभ्यां शराभ्यां चिच्छेद रामः शस्त्रभृतां वरः॥
That best of those bearing arms cut off with two arrows that dart resembling the thunder-bolt and flaming in the sky.
तद् रामविशिखैश्छिन्नं शूलं तस्यापतद् भुवि। पपाताशनिना छिन्नं मेरोरिव शिलातलम्॥
And the dart severed by the shafts of Rāma, fell to the earth, as falls a crag severed by the thunderbolt.
तौ खङ्गौ क्षिप्रमुद्यम्य कृष्णसर्पाविवोद्यतौ। तूर्णमापेततुस्तस्य तदा प्रहरतां बलात्॥
Thereat, swiftly raising up sword, resembling a black snake, each (of the Rāghavas) approached his antagonist, and began to assail him hastily.
स वध्यमानः सुभृशं भुजाभ्यां परिगृह्य तौ। अप्रकम्प्यौ नरव्याघ्रौ रौद्रः प्रस्थातुमैच्छत ॥
Thus hard beset, that terrible one, seizing them both with his arms, attempted to make away with those foremost of men, who, however, retained their calmness.
तस्याभिप्रायमाज्ञाय रामो लक्ष्मणब्रवीत्। वहत्वयमलं तावत् पथानेन तु राक्षसः॥ यथा चेच्छति सौमित्रे तथा वहतु राक्षसः। अयमेव हि नः पन्था येन याति निशाचरः॥
Reading his purpose, Rāma spoke to Lakşmana, Let the Rākşasa bear us by this way. Not use of letting him. O Sumitra's son let the Rākşasa bear us wherever he likes. Even this, by which the ranger of the night is proceeding, is our way.
स तु स्वबलवीर्येण समुत्क्षिप्य निशाचरः। बालाविव स्कन्धगतौ चकारातिर्बलोद्धतः॥
And lifting up (Rāma and Lakşmana) by his might and. prowess, as if they were striplings, that haughty ranger of the night laid them on his shoulders.
तावारोप्य ततः स्कन्धं राघवौ रजनीचरः। विराधो विनदन् घोरं जगामाभिमुखो वनम्॥
And having deposited the Rāghavas on his shoulders, Virādha-ranger* of night-sending up dreadful shouts, directed his course towards the forest. Another reading is:-That ranger of the night laid on his shoulders, those ones, who were puffed up with their exceeding prowess.
वनं महामेघनिभं प्रविष्टो द्रुमैर्महाद्भिर्विविधैरुपेतम्। नानाविधैः पक्षिकुलैर्विचित्रं शिवायुतं व्यालमृगैर्विकीर्णम्॥
And he at length entered the forest resembling a mighty mass of clouds, furnished with various kinds of trees, picturesque with diverse species of birds, and abounding in jackals, serpents and beasts.